8 Right-Angle Drills to Help You Work in Tight Spaces

A cordless right-angle drill helps you do work that would cause you considerable grief if you didn't own the tool. It easily reaches into confined wall and ceiling cavities to bore holes or drive screws. To some that sounds like drudgery, to us testing the eight machines here was a blast. We bored into Douglas fir 2 x 8s using a 3/4-inch spade bit, drilled through 1/4-inch steel, and took our top finishers to a nasty bathroom remodeling job in an old house. Find out which is best for your budget.

Bosch ADS181-101

Bosch ADS181-101

Ranking:★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Price: $230 Volts/amp hour: 18/3 Ahr 3/4-inch holes: 248

Likes: If your priority is drilling holes, especially large ones, then the industrial-duty Bosch is a great choice. It’s heavy and it’s long, weighing nearly 5 pounds and spanning nearly 14 inches from its battery to the top of its head. It was the only tool with a ½-inch-diameter chuck. Its speed control is extremely precise, which makes it effective at drilling steel.

Dislikes: To grip the tool so you don’t block its air vents to the motor, you have to hold the Bosch quite low on the handle.

DeWalt DCD740C1

DeWalt DCD740C1

Ranking:★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Price: $195 Volts/amp hour: 20/1.5 Ahr 3/4-inch holes: 68

Likes: DeWalt ‘s “deep pocket” chuck is excellent because it can swallow a 2-in.-long screwdriver bit allowing just a stub to protrude, thus improving the drill’s ability to squeeze into tight places. We also liked the 2-speed selector switch, the tool’s narrow handgrip, and its plentiful rubber overmold.

Dislikes: In the unlikely event you need more hole-drilling capacity, than you’ll need to upgrade to a 3 or 4-amp hour battery.